25 Sparkling Picks for New Year's

You should be able to find most of these easily in government and private wine stores.

96 Krug Grande Cuvee N/V Pinot Noir - Chardonnay - PinotMeunier

Champagne, France

BC $255.00, AB $248.00, NF $272.00, NS $250.00, ON$245.00 LCBO - Vintages, ON $549.00 (1500 ml) LCBO, QC $275.00

Grand Cuvée is the signature Krug. So intense, soelectric, so dry and fresh. Is this really made with grapes? A high proportionof reserve wine from six to ten vintages lend it a nutty, mature flavourflecked with citrus, honey, quince, lemon and mineral flavours. Long,persistent, incredibly nuanced it has no peer among multi-vintage blends.(AG-ST)

96 Roederer Cristal Champagne 2005 Pinot Noir -Chardonnay

Champagne, France

BC $278.00 Everything Wine, NB $258.00, ON $288.00Vintages, ON $756.00 (1500 ml) Vintages, QC $283.00

Very fine, continuous tiny mousse. Creamy, green apple,brioche, honey, citrus, floral, butter and ripe pear aromas. Fresh, creamy,juicy, crisp palate with fine mousse. Big green apple, buttered pear, brioche,honey, creamy, peach pit, lemon flavours. Great finesse and texture withbalanced sweetness and crisp acidity. Should improve for many years in bottle.A super effort. (AG-ST)

94 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs2000

Champagne, France

BC $180.00 Marquis Wine Cellar, AB $200.00

Pale yellow with fine, continuous bead. Bright freshfloral, nutty, toasted nose with baked green apple, citrus, light honey. Theattack is juicy and crisp with some a hint of sweetness (ripe fruit) but goodbalance and fine mousse. The flavours are intense reminiscent of baked greenapple, butter, toasted nuts, honey, peach pit and citrus flavours. Long andflavourful, quite concentrated and ripe but all with elegance and lightness. Abit riper than last vintage but intense with fine acidity. (AG-ST)

94 Moët & Chandon Cuvée Dom Pérignon 2003 Pinot Noir- Chardonnay

Champagne, France

BC $213.00 specialty listing, AB $235.00 fine wine shops,ON $219.00 LCBO, QC $230.00, US $119.00 Costco

As warm and dry as 2003 was in Europe winemaker RichardGeoffrey decided to declare a Dom Pérignon vintage in 2003. It has turned outto be a very big champagne with more power and minerality than finesse andacidity at least at this point but it should still have wide appeal for mostDom drinkers. There are more candied fruits than red this year and there is alot more pinot noir in the mix and spice. Baked apple, pear skin, butteredalmond, citrus rind, toasty, garlic flavours. Very intense and rich style withripe fruit characters but also quite strong lees autolysis. There is freshnessand minerality but Geoffrey insists the 2003 will be remembered by itsintensity. Drink now with the classic foie gras or caviar match or hold foranother five years. (AG-ST)

92 Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve (Dégorgement 2009) N/VChardonnay - Pinot Noir - Pinot Meunier

Champagne, France

BC $61.00 specialty listing, AB $72.00 fine wine shops,MB $55.00, ON $55.00 Vintages, QC $61.00

Fresh delicate nutty, brioche nose with baked apple,waxy, light honey and cream aromas. Equally fresh, crisp, elegant palate withfine mousse and spicy, nutty, toasty, citrus, baked apple, juicy pear, cherryand tropical flavours. Fine balance and finish with lots of bottle development.Impressive fresh mouth-filling bubble that over-delivers for the price. (AG-ST)

92 Champagne Varnier-Fanniere Cuvee St. Denis Brut GrandCru N/V

Champagne, France

BC $74.00 speculative listing - Liquid Art Selections

Made from a single vineyard of old chardonnay vines, thishas fine continuous mousse with a floral, toasty, nutty, anise, citrus rind,baked apple, toasty aromas, and a somewhat mature nose. Full, round, creamymousse with good acidity and some brut sweetness but juicy. Nutty, creamy,toasty brioche, baked apple, honey and warm citrus flavours. A bit austere onthe finish but also has length and intensity to lend itself to match well withfood. (AG-ST)

92 Summerhill Pyramid Winery Cipes Ariel Premier Cuvée1998 Pinot Noir - Chardonnay - Pinot Meunier

Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada

BC $85.00 winery direct

Summerhill has had its ups and downs over the years butlately there are more ups than down and the new ups are higher. Case in pointis the stunningly fine Cipes Ariel bubble. Mysteriously lost in the depths ofthe cellar the 1998 has emerged as one of the finest sparkling wines ever madein British Columbia. The fruit is estate grown at Summerhill's Kelowna vineyardand is now a delicious, old, 59/40/1 blend of pinot noir, chardonnay and pinotmeunier. Expect a rich, powerful yet delicate nose of complex aromas includingcitrus, brioche, apricot skin and hazelnuts. The texture is equally impressiveand creamy with a fine lees character that adds to its complexity. The flavoursare more gout Anglais than fresh but it remains in fine shape with brightlemon, toasted ginger and bits of red apple fruit. Very food-friendly and readyto drink. (AG)

92 Bollinger Special Cuvée N/V Chardonnay - Pinot Noir -Pinot Meunier

Champagne, France

BC $72.00 Specialty

Special Cuvée is no ordinary multi-vintage champagnecontaining a high percentage of reserve wines some of which are aged in magnum.The wine is barrel and stainless steel fermented and aged from 5 to 15 years.The base blend is 50/50 mix of two vintages. The result is a complex, richsparkler with fine bubbles and plenty of pear, grilled toast and nutty notes.Dries fruits and peach notes mark the refined spicy, brioche and nutty finish.A spectacular food wine from charcuterie to chicken or sashimi. The blend is60/25/15 pinot noir, chardonnay and meunier. The denomination Special Cuvée wascreated in 1911 as a way to avoid calling what is an amazing champagne:"non-vintage". They were right. (AG-ST)

91 Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Blanc de Blancs PremierCru N/V

Champagne, France

BC $73.00 speculative listing - Liquid Art Selections

Made with natural yeast and malolactic fermentation, thishas very fine mousse with toasty floral, baked apple, pear, nutty, citrusaromas. Fresh, elegant, creamy, toasty, nutty, spicy, baked pear and honeyflavours. Good toasty, brioche, creamy mousse finish. Nice finesse in a more maturestyle for those that like it extra nutty and toasty. (AG-ST)

91 Champagne Pierre Gimonnet Brut Cuis 1er Cru Blanc deBlancs N/V

Champagne, France

BC $64.00 speculative listing - Liquid Art Selections, AB$60.00 private wine shops, QC $60.00

Good fine mousse with floral, green apple, pear, citrus,nutty, toasty, slightly buttery aromas. Ripe, full, round, slightly sweet andfoamy palate with good acidity and freshness. Toasty, baked apple, honey,nutty, citrus, pear skin and lemon flavours. Good intensity and length withlots of citrus but a somewhat coarse finish. Best with tapas-like appetizers.(AG-ST)

90 de Venoge Cordon Bleu Brut Sélect N/V Pinot Noir -Chardonnay - Pinot Meunier

Champagne, France

BC $65.00 specialty listing

Very fine persistent mousse. Green apple, honey, toasty,citrus, baked pear, mineral, buttery aromas. Medium brut sweetness style andcrisp palate with creamy mousse and persistence. Toasty, citrus, cherry, bakedgranny smith, honey, spicy anise flavours with a touch of seashore. Goodfinesse and flavour concentration with structure and length. (AG-ST)

90 Pol Roger Brut Reserve N/V Chardonnay - Pinot Noir -Pinot Meunier

Champagne, France

BC $39.00 specialty listing, AB $60.00 fine wine shops,BC $66.00 specialty listing, MB $53.00, NF $66.00, NS $33.00, ON $60.00, QC$63.00

You will love the fine persistent mousse and its etherealfloral, baked apple, toasted nut and citrus aromas. So fresh and attractive andtypical Pol Roger mixing elegance, creamy textures and fruit effortlessly. Thepalate is reminiscent of baked green apple, honey and citrus soaked nuts. Asuper wine to open when you need a bottle for an array of appetizers and onethat will command your visitor's attention. (AG-ST)

90 Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs Brut 2009

North Coast Region, California, United States

BC $40.00 specialty listing, ON $45.00

Medium fine mousse. Very biscuit-y, butter, baked apple,spicy acacia, honey, pear aromas. Fresh, rich, full with somewhat foamy mousse.Lemon, biscuit, nutty, buttery, baked apple, quince and citrus flavours. Richbut austere finish with a real butter lees and apple skin finish. (AG-ST)

89 Tranchero Casot Moscato d'Asti 2011

Piedmont, Italy

BC $20.00 specialty listing

A light frizzante style (5.5% alcohol) with earthy, pear,floral, peach, ginger, red apple aromas. Juicy, rich, slightly foamy palatewith moderate sweetness but good fresh acidity. Honey, apricot, guava, spicy,ginger, floral flavours. Good muscat fruit intensity with a juicy, somewhatsweet finish. For summer, warm afternoons and after dinner. (AG-ST)

89 Mionetto Il Moscato N/V

Veneto, Italy

BC $18.00 specialty listing, AB $19.00 private wineshops, MB $18.00, SK $14.00, YK $20.00

Year in and year out this Moscato gets the job done withclass. Most important it has nothing to do with the current moscato craze thathas commercial wineries worldwide selling sweet crap that is killing the imageof these great sparklers. Expect a clean fresh, floral, spicy, peach nose thatis nimble on the palate. Well balanced and refreshing it offers up ripe peachflavours and spicy baked apple mineral fruit that is in harmony with thebubbles. Love the crown cap; simply pop off with a bottle opener and serve withyour favourite Thai or Indian dishes. (AG)

89 Parés Baltà Cava Brut B N/V Macabeo - Xarello -Parellada

Penedès, Catalunya, Spain

BC $20.00 specialty listing, NF $16.00

An annual tasting of 'b" never disappoints. So fresh,clean and dry and all with creamy textures make this the perfect weddingsparkler for the relatives, but interesting enough for the aficionado. Thefruit is a mix of parellada, macabeo and xarello and it's 100 percentorganically grown. Look for nutty, creamy, green apple flavours with a mineral/floralundercurrent. Good value and food friendly. (AG-ST)

89 Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs Brut 2008

North Coast Region, California, United States

BC $40.00 specialty listing, ON $45.00

Medium fine continuous mousse. Creamy, toasty brioche,pear, light hone, spicy, citrus, baked apple and buttered cashew aromas. Fresh,somewhat creamy but foamy mousse in a sweeter style brut but solid acidity.Toasty, nutty, honey, apple core, earthy, citrus, leesy, peach flavours. Finishis biscuit-y with lemon drop notes. Riper style with good finesse. (AG-ST)

89 Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut N/V Pinot Noir - Chardonnay

Sonoma County, California, United States

BC $28.00 specialty listing, AB $34.00 private wineshops, NF $30.00, ON $27.00, QC $23.00

Sonoma Brut is a blend of more than 40 separate lots ofmostly pinot noir and some chardonnay grown on the 340-acre estate in theSonoma Carneros district. The style is fresh, floral and delicate but with somecreamy toasty notes with hints of cherry, citrus and apple flavours. There is amineral streak throughout. Try it with most seafood including shellfish, craband or sushi. (AG)

91 J Vineyards Cuvée 2002 Brut 2002 Chardonnay - PinotNoir - Pinot Meunier
Russian River, Sonoma County, California, United States
US $30.00 estimated pricing
Only 900 cases were made giving you an idea how artisanal the J bubble is. Handharvested, each lot is fermented and kept separated until blending. The wine isaged on tirage for five years at the winery before it is hand disgorged andtopped up for another six months in bottle. Expect a vibrant nose of whitefruits pear and peaches with bits of spice and a toasted nut character andcreamy finish. The blend is 49/49/2 chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier.Perfect with cheese. (AG-ST)

88 Segura Viudas Cava Brut Rosado N/V Trepat - Garnacha -Monastrell

Penedès, Catalunya, Spain

BC $16.00 specialty listing, AB $17.00 private winestores, MB $16.00, NB $17.00, NF $17.00

The label should command your respect and attention forits consistent ability to over-deliver for the price. Look for a lively,raspberry-coloured sparkling rosé with an attractive creamy mousse. The palateis dry and fresh with nutty, cherry, baked pear and citrus flavours. Theperfect tapas wine you can pour freely before dinner with apéritif-style bites.The blend is a mix of trepat, garnacha and monastrell. (AG)

88 Anna de Codorníu Brut N/V Chardonnay - Parellada -Macabeo/Xarel-lo

Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, Penedès, Catalunya, Spain

BC $16.00 specialty listing

Light fine continuous mousse. Floral, honey, nutty,spicy, baked pear, quince, red apple aromas. Off dry, fresh, crisp, slightlyaustere palate with fine but foamy mousse. Baked quince, citrus rind, pear,honey, nutty, spicy, floral flavours. Good finesse and length if a bit foamy.Great value. (AG)

88 Louis Bouillot Perle d'Aurore Rose Louis BouillotPerle d'Aurore Rosé Crémant de Bourgogne N/V Pinot Noir - Gamay

Burgundy, France

BC $26.00

This 80/20 mix of pinot noir and gamay has a paleraspberry colour with a fresh floral, cherry, mineral, liquorice aromas fleckedwith nutty/toasty note. Bubbles are light and the style is slightly sweeterwith very fresh acidity and tobacco, cherry, strawberry, anise and citrus/leesflavours. The ending is an attractive, sweet fruit finish. (AG-ST)

87 Anna Spinato Prosecco Organic N/V

Veneto, Italy

BC $14.99

Light lees, floral, pear, honey aromas with a bit ofbaked citrus rind. Fresh, crisp, juicy, somewhat foamy mousse entry with somesweetness. Baked pear, honey, nutty, floral, apple skin and candied grapefruitrind flavours. Good intensity with some lees length and not too sweet. Goodsolid value for prosecco. (AG-ST)

87 Bottega Il Vino dei Poeti Gold Glera N/V

Veneto, Italy

BC $25.00 specialty listing, NS $27.00, ON $23.00

Medium mousse. Floral, pear, peach skin, baked citrusaromas. Fresh, creamy, slightly foamy palate with baked pear, citrus rind,peach, almond and apple skin flavours. More restrained and dryer style thatshould be good with food or sipping. (AG)

86 Codorníu Clásico Brut N/V Chardonnay - Xarel-lo -Macabeo

Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, Penedès, Catalunya, Spain

BC $13.00 general listing, NF $14.00, PEI $15.00

Not much changed here but consistent quality each year.The nose has fresh citrus, nutty, spicy, lees, apple skin and floral aromas.Round, soft, light mousse with a touch of sweetness. Fruity green apple, ginger,citrus, honey and toasted almonds flavours with a bit of extra body from thebit of chardonnay in the blend. Good value in a simpler style. (AG-ST)